South Dakota’s bird flu outbreak is getting worse. Since two outbreaks at commercial farms around Labor Day, six more instances of avian flu in South Dakota factory turkey facilities have been reported, leading to the snuffing out of 419,650 turkeys:
The bird flu depopulation process is federally mandated and involves killing all birds at affected sites to prevent the virus from spreading to nearby farms. [State Veterinarian Beth] Thompson said “foaming” is the most common method in turkey barns, where foam is sprayed atop turkeys inside the barn to suffocate them [Joshua Haiar, “Over 400,000 Turkeys Killed in Response to SD’s Bird Flu Outbreak; Ducks Identified as Carriers,” South Dakota Searchlight, 2025.09.20].
The prime culprit: blue-winged teal!
…South Dakota State Veterinarian Beth Thompson said blue-winged teal, a species of duck, have been identified as carriers of this season’s virus. John Cooper, a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent and former state Game, Fish and Parks secretary, said it makes sense that the state would find itself combating bird flu early this year if teal are carrying it.
“Teal are traditionally our first migrators,” Cooper said [Haiar, 2025.09.20].
Better call Homeland Security and send ICE to round up ducks. Or instead of storming D.C., Memphis, and Chicago, maybe we need to deploy the National Guard along Highway 12 to shoot down all those migrating teal before they come fraternizing with our good wholesome turkeys.
The teal connection fits research from the United States Geological Survey and partners including Environment and Climate Change Canada:
Research finds that facilities in northern states may be at higher risk for potential transmission during the ducks’ fall migration from mid-September through mid-November, as that is when blue-winged teal are in the closest proximity to domestic poultry facilities. Research also finds that commercial chicken operations in southern states may be at higher risk of disease transmission during the duck’s spring migration from March through April. In contrast to chicken operations, contact probabilities with commercial turkey facilities were found to be relatively low in the spring [USGS: Easter Ecological Science Center, press release, 2021.09.21].
Whether USGS and other American scientists can continue to collaborate with Canadian researchers and other international partners to research bird flu is uncertain: in February, the American autocrat ordered NOAA scientists to seek permission to communicate with Canadian researchers.
In South Dakota over a hundred native species are at risk to the Republican Party including the endangered pallid sturgeon, paddlefish, black footed ferret, northern long-eared bat, the black-backed woodpecker that feeds on bark beetles and a bird that actually walks underwater – the American dipper, just to name a few.
And, after massive failures of state agencies like South Dakota Game, Fish and Plunder invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels are taking over waterbodies as diving ducks like the Canvasback, Redhead, Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye and snow geese are being eliminated.
So, how would the presence of moose, wolves and bears in eastern South Dakota not automatically make them candidates for endangered species protection? Because Republicans hate the Earth.